


from the ashes of Tuchanka

by amako



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And by that I mean Shepard has a very confusing gender identity, Gen, Humanity Sucks, Mass Effect 1, Shepard is raised by the Urdnot Clan, Wrex and Shepard brotp, a good dose of angst, gender is a social construct, let's all ignore canon for a while
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-04 10:30:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12769146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amako/pseuds/amako
Summary: A day after Wrex's twentieth birthday, a human pod crashes in the Hollows."You know what? Let's do that, Shepard. The Urdnot Brothers, mercenaries.""I like it."orShepard is a Krogan, Garrus is confused, Joker is suffering and Kaidan wonders what he did to deserve this. Wrex is in the corner laughing his ass off.





	1. The Urdnot Brothers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShadesOfMauve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadesOfMauve/gifts).



> This story is born from reading A Star to Steer Her By a few times too many, and how Shepard called Wrex her mountain.
> 
> I'm so far from being a native speaker it's not even funny. When you find mistakes (trust me, you will), be forgiving and kindly point them out.

The clan Urdnot is known for having the strongest warriors and most fertile women (and by that they mean that they're the only one who managed to have a child in the last century). Urdnot Wrex's birth is a miracle and no one dares question the supremacy of the clan after that, not even when Jarrod starts acting out. A day after Wrex's twentieth birthday, a human pod crashes in the Hollows.

The clans don't know what to do with it. The pod is in sacred grounds, a place only entered for ceremonies and meetings, and no one wants to be the first to walk the lands if the Ancestors are against it. Brigg, Wrex's mother and the only woman who proved able to bear a child, is elected to go. The Ancestors favoured us with a semblance of fertility, they won't strike her down if she goes to investigate the pod.

The Alliance logo on the side is barely recognisable and Brigg has no problem with lifting her weapon in preparation after she unlocks the pressurised seal. With a burst of freezing air, the pod opens and reveals a frozen body. Brigg stares a long time at the fair-skinned human... human _child_. She hears her clansmen and kinsmen calling for her from the edge of the sacred grounds and she lifts a hand in a peaceful sign. There is no risk coming from the cryogenized body of a child, squishy and soft like a pup.

Brigg can't believe how breathless she is. It's a human, nothing to gush about. But it's a _child_ and she hasn't seen one since Wrex was born. Though he's still a kid in his own rights, he's nowhere close the human offspring in this pod. Feeling like she's making a decision that will change their history, Brigg bends and picks up the small body, cradling it close to her. It's about twice the size of her arm, but she has no idea how fast the humans grow. It's impossible to give it an age, or even a gender. It has nothing like the fringe of Turians or the Krogan's jaws, indicators of both.

Brigg looks in the pod, but there is nothing resembling identity papers. She can only find a small necklace, the kind she's seen on Alliance bodies. That should help. She picks it up and reads the plates, sighing when she doesn't understand the language. On the other side, though, she finds words in the international tongue. _Lieutenant Shepard, Alliance Navy._ It would have to do.

She leaves the pod behind and walks back to her kinsmen, their ranks parting in respect at seeing her untouched by the Ancestors' wrath. Brigg walks straight to the shaman who came with them and presents the child to her.

 

"What is it that you found, Brigg of Clan Urdnot?"

"A human child, shaman. I felt something telling me to take it."

 

There is a whisper behind her, the men of the tribes wondering if the Ancestors showed their will through her.

 

"The Urdnot will raise this child like their own, if it is what the Ancestors want," the shaman says in a wavering voice, like they do when they speak for something greater than themselves.

"You want to treat this thing like a Krogan?" Jarrod spits "It's not made for Tuchanka or our ways."

"Are you disrespecting our word, Urdnot Jarrod?" The shaman growls. The leader backs off.

"I'm not. We will take the child in. He will be raised with Wrex."

"So be it."

 

And so it is. The human child is named Urdnot Shepard and placed in the nest with Wrex. They don't have much on humans, but the shaman manages to find some informations in the database. Shepard is about ten years old, a little older than Wrex when converted in Krogan years. Its small body is weak after months of cryo sleep, but they manage to warm it up, letting it lay with Wrex whenever the doctors aren't prodding at it to figure out if they can wake it up faster. It looks nothing like an Asari, but nothing like an adult human either. Its chest is flat, so they settle for calling it a boy until they can figure out what really sets the humans apart.

It takes almost a week for Shepard to wake. When he does, the first thing out of his mouth is a roar and Jarrod nods, satisfied. It will do. Wrex is still sleeping a lot, building up the energy a Krogan needs to properly grow, but every waking moment is spent with Shepard at his side, growing alongside him. For now, Shepard is almost a head taller than Wrex, but it won't take long for him to catch up. The Krogan grow up insanely fast once they have spent enough time in the nest.

Shepard doesn't remember anything from the human life, a blank slate for the Krogan culture to build upon. He grows up fighting against clansmen twice as big as him, growing so slow the shaman think him a runt for a while. But almost five years after Brigg got the child out of the pod, a sudden growth hits Shepard and sends him to Wrex's size. It's also around the time Shepard starts to bleed. Wrex and Shepard are brothers, still sharing the nest, and Wrex is the first to notice the blood on the leather of their sleep bundle.

He drags Shepard kicking and screaming to the doctors and asks them to find out what wound is making him bleed like that. They look and they don't find anything, Shepard is pouting while they crouch between his legs, prodding at the weird pieces of flesh there. So they scan Shepard, like they did when he arrived, and when they compare the two holograms, they find a strange swelling in his insides.

The Krogan are pragmatic. If it does nothing good, then it has no place in the body. They put Shepard under and they remove the swelled parts. They wait and they wait but Shepard never bleeds again. Wrex shrugs the sleep off, after staying awake for the whole surgery, and drags Shepard back to the nest. They burry themselves in leather and furs and sand and they sleep it out. The next day, they're back to fighting.

There are rumours, though. They say Jarrod is calling for battle, that he wants Turian and Salarian blood. That he wants the blood of every race standing in their way to leading the galaxy. Shepard and Wrex are barely coming out of childhood, somewhere around the time of the Rite. They take it together, joined as the hip like no one can remember two nest brothers being.

(maybe it's because they're the first brothers to survive the genophage, two Krogans raised in the blood and dust of Tuchanka)

Shepard and Wrex come out of the Rite with the brightest grin on their faces and pieces of a thresher maw hanging from their shoulders. It's the first one to be killed in more than a century and the Clan Urdnot reaps the pride from the victory. The Urdnot Brothers are known in every corner of the planet, their story told in every tribe, the hope of every female clan.

They're barely back on clan lands when they hear about Jarrod's call for a return to arms. Wrex disagrees immediately with the idea, and despite Shepard's reluctance, he's quick to follow his brother. They confront Jarrod and the Krogan shrugs them off. He offers them a tribe to lead and the brothers are too excited to refuse. They take the tribe and they leave clan lands, finding their own grounds a dozen of kilometres away. Wrex's first decision is to make their tribe focus on growing their ranks.

They frequently make trips to the female clans in small groups. Shepard becomes a glorified bodyguard, having nothing to do when the groups leave. He guards the tribe lands with a few older Krogans who aren't fit for breeding and refines his skills. More importantly, he's taken to visit the doctors twice a month. They're trying to make him more Krogan, with the help of a Salarian working on ending the genophage.

Maelon is stubborn and rude, both qualities the Krogan respect. Shepard could almost like him if he didn't take as much pleasure in his suffering as he did. He's not about to complain, though. If Maelon succeeds, he'll be closer to his brother than ever before. The Salarian is using Wrex's DNA to clone genetic sequences, hoping to make Shepard a hybrid.

So far, he managed to give him the same kind of back-up system Krogans have. Shepard can now survive a lot longer without water or food, and he counts that as a victory. Having to see Wrex leave for long hunts when he couldn't has always been a cause of disputes between them. Then Maelon informs him he might be able to enlarge his lungs if he's willing to use cybernetics.

Shepard waits until Wrex comes back from the female clan, because he can't take that kind of decision without his brother. He waits until they're huddled together in their new nest, filled with leather and furs from beasts they killed on their own. His naked skin is pressed against Wrex's chest, the feeling so familiar he can't help but find a measure of comfort from the touch.

 

"He wants to do _what_ now?"

"Think about it, Wrex. I could run faster and longer, I could finally keep up with you! You've seen what he already did to my shoulders so I can hunt with you."

"It could kill you, Shepard. We can't lose another Krogan when our tribe hasn't been able to produce a single child since we left the clan."

 

Shepard roars and jumps to his feet, spreading his arms. He's completely naked in front of Wrex, his fragile skin for him to see.

 

"Do I look like a Krogan to you, uh? Do I look like a Krogan, Wrex? Who cares if I die, I'm good for nothing if I can't keep up with the tribe!"

"I CARE!" Wrex screams, getting up too. They're of height, Shepard's forehead brushing his nose as he shakes him, hoping to make him understand. "I care, Urdnot Shepard, brother. I don't want you to die for a burst of speed in your run, do you get it? Stubborn runt!"

 

Shepard's breathing is harsh, his skin blistering red under Wrex's rough hands. His fierce eyes don't leave his brother's face for a second, teeth showing as he growls. Then his whole body relaxes and he slumps against Wrex, his forehead against Wrex's.

 

"Don't show that you care, brother. The tribe will think you weak."

"Shut up, thresher maw pet. We're the Urdnot Brothers. Let them come, I'll rip their quad off."

"I'll help," Shepard smiles, bloodlust in his dark eyes.

"Then you have to survive the Salarian, Shepard."

"You agree?"

"Can I stop you?"

 

Shepard stays silent and looks at his brother, his tense jaw and huge shoulders, all signs deserving of respect. Shepard is all hard planes and sharp bones, his skin taunt over strong muscles. He's lean and tall, taller than humans should be. Maelon thinks it has to do with the nuclear waste on the planet. Shepard disagrees. He knows it's the result of his time spent in the nest with Wrex.

 

"You'll go see Maelon tomorrow. Let's sleep."

"Let's sleep," Shepard agrees as they lean back into the nest. It smells of adulthood and trust, of violence and pride. Shepard likes it.

 

The new surgery goes well enough, but Maelon tells them it will be the last. He's not sure Shepard can take more and he doesn't know enough about human physiology to keep going. Wrex almost punches him and tells him Shepard is Krogan. Maelon shrugs, already back in his research, but Shepard makes sure to give Wrex the best cut of the result of their evening hunt.

They've been gone from clan lands for almost ten years when Jarrod sends a message to them, inviting them to a Crush. He wants to meet in the Hollows, where Shepard's pod crashed all those years ago. They've heard rumours of Jarrod's anger over the years, when more and more tribes agreed to the Brothers' approach on things. A baby was even born from a nearby tribe, and Wrex and Shepard were invited to celebrate. Shepard won the naming contest, screaming harder than the others after downing his fourth glass of ryncol. Krag was presented to the Ancestors and Shepard spent three days wallowing in the worst hangover he's ever known.

If Jarrod is offering a Crush, it might finally be a good sign for Tuchanka as a whole. The Clan Urdnot is still the most respected and the others would follow its example. Wrex smells a trap, though, and tells Shepard as much.

 

"You really think he'd desecrate the Hollows? He's scum, but even he wouldn't dare anger the Ancestors."

"Our father never showed an ounce of respect for the Ancestors, and I hope Vaul strikes him where he stands."

"Well that's certainly a way of seeing it. We're still going?"

Wrex growls. "Like we have a choice."

"Yeah," Shepard sighs. "Family is a bitch."

 

Wrex barks out a laugh and pushes him roughly in the shoulder. None of them comment when Shepard doesn't stumble, but they both smile a ruthless smile. The Brothers are ready.

 

Or so they thought. Because when they get to the Hollows, Jarrod is waiting for them alongside his best warriors. It takes about three sentences to establish how far apart his and the Brothers' opinions differ. It takes about one sentence more for Jarrod to call his men and send them after the small group from their tribe.

They get slaughtered. It's as simple as that. It's one against six and as good as their tribe is, they can't compete with the best warriors from the clan lands. Wrex makes a strategic retreat, because a Krogan never runs away. But Shepard is sprawled over his shoulders, a gash in his cheek nothing compared to the hole Jarrod's weapon punctured through his chest when the Brothers took him down.

Now he's running because despite their best efforts, Shepard just isn't as resistant as he is, and even Wrex would struggle with a hole in his chest. He brings his brother to Maelon, lacking other options, and the Salarian makes a disapproving noise when he sees Shepard's state. Just like the first surgery, Wrex spends the entire time standing next to the cot where Maelon is butchering the insides of his brother.

The surgery takes more than a day and Shepard stays asleep two days more. When he wakes up, a huge scar twisting the side of his mouth in the same way the three claws once ripped Wrex's jaw, his first act is to throw up on Maelon. The Salarian is very unimpressed but manages to give his report with an unwavering face. He had to replace most of Shepard's rib cage and his sternum broke under the pressure.

Shepard looks down at his chest, now covered in matching plates. He knocks briefly on them, hissing in pain when they dig inside his skin. He finds them strangely familiar, until his eyes fall on Wrex's own chest plates, a bandage covering a side of them.

 

"I cultivated new plates in a heat tank with some of his DNA and some of yours. I don't know how well it's going to work, but it does the job for now. Also, congratulations on successfully removing any chances of you ever growing breasts."

"Growing what?"

"Nevermind. You're patched up, now get out of my lab and find yourself a life."

 

Wrex heaves Shepard up, his brother groaning when the movements pulls on his new skin.

 

"I like him," he whispers too loud, his mouth pressed against Wrex's jaw.

"And you're drugged up to the quad, so I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of your mouth, runt."

"Have you seen my face?" Shepard giggles. "I'm handsome now!"

"Yeah, shut up. I'm getting you to a shuttle. We're leaving Tuchanka."

"Really? Cool. I hate those fuckers from the clan lands."

"Me too, brother. Me too."

"Ohhhh, you know what? Let's go to the Citadel! We could be mercenaries! Or bounty hunters!"

 

Wrex pauses, the shuttle in view, and looks at Shepard. The drugs are still in his system, but underneath Shepard looks utterly serious. He knows just as much as Wrex that they need to leave for a while.

 

"You know what? Let's do that, Shepard. The Urdnot Brothers, mercenaries."

"I like it."

"Better than the Salarian, brother. Better than the Salarian."

 


	2. Commander Shepard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a lot of liberties, as usual. This is a canon divergence, after all. Mainly: the crew from ME2 is partially here already. I wanted to make Kaidan the captain for a moment, but I changed my mind so here is a useless plot to add to the pile. Also, the names are going to be confusing just for this chapter, but it's going to get better later ahaha. Enjoy!

 

 

The Citadel is fucking huge. That's the first thing the Brothers agree on upon arriving at the docking bay. It's huge and it smells like teenage krogan hormones. Honestly, that's even putting it mildly. Wrex is very unimpressed, but Shepard is trying to hide a wide-eyed wonder at seeing humans. Wrex bites back the bitterness, because Shepard is _his_ and he's a krogan, not one of those squishy, pink things parading before Customs.

Just to prove his point, a human female trips on her long dress and falls right on her face. Shepard snorts, disdain clear on his body language. They're both wearing their helmets, and if his brother doesn't exactly have the krogan thickness, he doesn't look human either. The enlarged shoulders, back and plates make for a bulky torso and he's towering a good fifteen centimetres over the tallest of humans. Wrex doesn't even try to hide his pride when Customs flash their passport and gesture them inside without blinking. The Urdnot Brothers are one step closer to their goal.

 

"Where do we need to go?" Shepard asks once they're cleared for most of the levels.

"No idea. Maybe we should ask C-Sec, I'm sure they'd be fucking delighted to help."

"Shut up, varren face. How about you ask the blue thing?"

Wrex looks around. "What blue thing?"

"I think your companion meant me, sir," a female voice answers.

 

Wrex turns towards the voice and sees a VI who's trying to look nice, but krogans wouldn't know nice if it kicked them in the quad, so Wrex only shrugs and gets closer.

 

"We're looking for a job."

"Can you be more precise?"

Shepard growls. "Where can we kill people and be payed for it?"

"I would like to inform you that murder and maiming are currently prohibited in Council Space. However, we do have a Bounty Office in the Zakera Wards."

"Great, where's that?"

"Please follow the blinking lights, they will guide you to the elevator. Then-"

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard snorts before moving, Wrex shadowing his steps.

 

The elevator is easy to find, nevermind what the VI seems to think, and soon the brothers are inside, punching the holo screen for a direct path to the wards. Wrex is muffling a snicker and Shepard glares at him from behind his helmet.

 

"What is it?"

"The VI was trying to be nice and you called it a blue thing!"

"Shut the fuck up," Shepard growls, pushing him to the side as the doors slide open. "Useless piece of thresher maw shit."

 

Shepard marches into the wards like he owns the place, glaring firmly at whoever dares laying eyes on them. Of course, it's entirely inefficient since Shepard's face is hidden under three kilos of polymer and metal, but Wrex isn't about to point it out. He does put some value in his life after all. When they come across Zakera Wards, the first thing to greet them is the welcoming face of a young salarian in C-Sec blue.

 

"Wanna go talk to him, brother? I know you've got a thing for salarian."

"Ancestors, will you ever let that go? I was quad deep in drugs and he was a friendly face! Have you seen yours in a mirror recently?"

Wrex snorts. "Well, I'm more attractive than you, that's for sure. My scars are classy, yours are just whoring for attention."

"I'm gonna rip your tongue out, just watch me," Shepard scowls, leaving him there and he walks towards the first office in view.

 

Wrex snickers again and prays for the poor bastard who's about to face his brother. Maybe he should find him an asari or a drell, that might calm his raging want for a fight. He knows Shepard never bred with anyone on Tuchanka, despite having the favour of many females. The priority is for fertile men, however, and he knows his brother. Shepard would never take the place of a krogan if it meant keeping their people from having children. It doesn't change the fact that Shepard must be fucking horny and Wrex is having the time of his life pushing him around.

The turian at the desk looks utterly unimpressed with Shepard's antics, until he starts growling and Wrex decides to lend his brother a hand by standing menacingly behind him with his hand on his weapon. The lizard is obviously not as stupid as his entire damned race, because he quickly gives up the information they want and Shepard soon brandishes proudly a bounty for a guy named Fist.

They find themselves marching through the Lower Wards, looking for Chora's Den. Wrex is trying very hard not to show his curiosity at the place. There aren't any bar like this on Tuchanka, and even though the wiggling asari have absolutely no impact on him, he enjoys the alcoholic smell and dimmed lights. He even catches Shepard bobbing his head at the music a few times.

They know Fist is running the place, but finding him is another matter entirely. They guy has protection, way more than they expected. They might want the job, but ending up in jail for murder is very low on their priorities, as Shepard has to remind his brother after he roughens up a bit one of the guards. In his defence, the guy had mocked Shepard's slender frame and that is the last thing Wrex is willing to forgive when it comes to his brother. The guard is lucky he didn't feed him his spine.

It does mean, however, that a three-men squad of C-Sec officers comes to escort them out of the club barely half an hour later. Wrex is looking anywhere except at the murderous form of his brother as they take the elevator to C-Sec academy. Despite the anger, Wrex is glad for Shepard's swearing, in the crudest, roughest krogan language. He hates the common tongue, how the vowels roll out of his mouth like he's about to throw up. Animals, all of them, for inventing such a disgusting language.

 

"Sir, Chora's Den's security called us about these two. Apparently, they were threatening the guards, in quite colourful ways."

"I'm gonna show you colourful," Shepard grumbles as he crosses his arms.

The officer raises a blue eyebrow, her smooth face a sharp contrast for the bulky armor she's wearing. "And who are those charming examples of krogan courtesy?"

"They registered in Customs about six hours ago."

 

The asari pulls up their file on her holo screen, staring at the few informations flickering on the blue light.

 

"Urdnot Shepard and Urdnot Wrex. Brothers? That must have been quite the event in your clan."

"Don't talk about things you can't pretend to understand," Wrex threatens in a low voice.

"Well, in any case, I can't have you running around and endangering the Citadel citizens. This needs to stop, right now. Stay away from Fist"

"We don't take orders from you."

"This is your only warning, Urdnot Brothers," the asari says, leaning forward.

"You should warn Fist," Shepard snorts. "We'll put a bullet between his eyes."

The asari bristles. "Do you want me to arrest you?"

"Of course not, m'am, we'll just go back to being peaceful krogans and have a cup of tea with the turian over there," Shepard snorts, his helmet raised defensively.

"Or you could come with me."

 

They turn around and look at an admittedly well-sized human, when compared to the midgets their race seems to produce on a regular basis. There is another human and a turian behind him, obviously following his lead.

 

"What do you want?" Wrex asks, without a care for the offended asari behind him.

"I'm going after Fist. Thought you might want to tag along."

"And why would we do that, human?"

"My name's Shepard. Commander Shepard."

 

Wrex very carefully doesn't react. He does turn slightly and notices immediately that his brother is now frozen, staring right at the human. It can't be a coincidence. A human Shepard in the Alliance Navy? Wrex remembers well the necklace plate that his brother has partially melted into the shoulder of his armor, just enough to make it stick there. They need to find out more.

 

"I'll give you a fair warning, Shepard. We're going to kill Fist. There is a bounty on his head, and we want it."

"We have a better chance at catching him if we work together," the turian says with a shrug.

"Well, you know what they say on Tuchanka," his brother finally says. Wrex nods.

"Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you'll find a friend."

The Commander smirks. "That's what I like to hear." He extends a hand, and Wrex takes it.

"We're the Urdnot Brothers. I'm Wrex, and this is Krantt."

The asari behind them clears her throat. "Actually-"

Shepard turns on his heels and heads towards the elevator before the asari can finish. "Come on, Fist isn't going to wait."

"You heard him," the Commander says. "Both of you, go back to the ship."

"But, sir-"

"Go, Alenko."

The human sighs. "Yes, sir."

 

Wrex is looking straight at his brother, catching up on the tension in his broad shoulders. It's a good thing not many people speak krogan around here, because they would have understood that he didn't give a new name to his brother, merely a title. This Commander holds to many answers not to take the risk, and even though Wrex couldn't give a fuck about who Shepard's human clan was, he can read his brother easily.

This is bothering him, and Wrex can't figure out if it's in a bad way or not. He ignores the ache in his chest telling him Shepard will go back to the humans if given the chance. He should know better than to doubt his brother. And yet Shepard can't take his eyes of the Commander. May the Ancestors hear him and bring peace to his brother. He doesn't want to loose him to a runt like Commander Shepard.

 

The Normandy is... something else. Shepard can't remember ever seeing a ship like this one. It's huge, for once, and yet long and slender, perfect for speed and subtlety. Not that subtety is supposed to be a part of his vocabulary, but he does know how to adapt and the crew of the Commander seems like a fan of doing things smoothly, if the Fist mission is anything to go by.

Shepard can't believe they let the scumbag go. That Commander is way too soft. He'd be dead in a week on their home planet. It's weird, seeing all those humans. It soothes something, deep inside of Shepard, to see how different they are from him. They're small, soft edges and light voices. He, on the other hand, is made of muscles and leather, the hoarse krogan tongue flowing from his scarred mouth. He's not a human, he knows that. He's Krogan, through and through, but getting the actual proof is settling the rooted doubt in his heart.

The Commander assigned them to the cargo bay, where a couple of cots have been set up for them. Shepard is glad. He's used to sleeping next to Wrex, and the territorial instincts that come with leaving their nest behind make him twitchy. He doesn't think he could have handled sleeping in close quarters with the rest of the crews, and judging by Wrex's pleased hum at the sight of the cots, he wouldn't have either.

Staying in the cargo bay does mean they have to deal with the two humans and the turian. Vakarian does keep to himself, which he should considering what his wretched race did to their, but Williams is a fucking pain. She keeps on fighting with crew members who make even the slightest of remark regarding the fact that she's female. Shepard can't seem to comprehend it.

For once, he really doesn't know how they can differentiate genders so easily. So far, all the human females he's seen are exactly like the men; barely smaller and with longer hair, sure, but still very similar. There is also the fact that Williams seems offended every time someone brings up her gender. Shepard admits to being baffled. Females are awesome, it's as simple as that. Without them, the krogans would already be dead and buried, long forgotten by the rest of the galaxy. They're the one to try again and again to lay eggs, even if the know the genophage turned it into a lost cause.

In any case, Williams is pain and Shepard longs for the times she's called in the Commander's squad and Wrex and him have the cargo bay almost for themselves. The other human never speaks if not spoken too and Vakarian works quietly, thanks the Ancestors.

So far, neither Shepard nor his brother have been called to go with the Commander, but neither of them is worried about it. They have the gym if they want to spar and as long as there's food in their plate, they're not about to complain. It's why they left Tuchanka, after all. To be far away from their father's influence and live by themselves. It is nice to not care about a tribe, after more than a decade spent worrying about others.

Unfortunately, not all is perfect. The Commander is the chattiest person he's ever met, and that's saying something because Shepard knows Maelon. Yet every day the Commander comes down and goes to speak with them, no matter how many times they turn him down with scathing remarks. The human has a foot in his mouth the size of a thresher maw's dick and it's faintly amusing to see him manage to insult their entire race and themselves in particular every time he tries to make conversation.

It does bring out some curiosity, though. Shepard knows they must be related in some ways. The humans don't have clans like the krogans, and their names are many. For two of them to share it means some kind of blood connection. In Shepard's eyes, his only family are Wrex and Brigg, and the tribe. That human means nothing to him, but he still wants to know. It's like an itch on the quad; you want to scratch it so badly but you know how terrible an idea it is.

It all goes fine until about a week after they left the Citadel. The Commander is nagging him to know why he's always keeping his helmet and, this time, Wrex isn't here to drive him away. Not that Shepard isn't perfectly capable of handling himself, but Wrex _is_ bigger than him, which helps drive the point across. The Commander has tried every excuse possible to get him to show his face, but this time the triumphant twist in his mouth doesn't bode well for Shepard.

 

"You don't want to take it off before me, fine. But I need proof what you're hiding isn't contagious. So you're going to the infirmary, Chakwas is going to do a full check-up on you and if everything is fine, I'll never bother you about it again."

"You can't force me, human," he growls.

"I can't. But I can leave you at the next station and never look back. How do you fancy spending the next quadrant on a moon at the edge of the galaxy?"

"Ancestors, fine! I'll go to your fucking check-up. Get out of my way!"

 

Shepard knows there's no getting out of this. He's counting on crossing paths with Wrex before going to the infirmary and figuring out a plan to get out of this. He has no idea how the crew will react upon knowing what race he used to be. The human laws are a mess and Shepard hasn't paid attention to what Customs explained past "don't kill them" so that's not like he can draw experience from it.

Unfortunately, Wrex is nowhere to be found and Shepard reluctantly goes to the med bay. They're in deep varren shit if the doctor says anything to the Commander. Maybe Shepard can bribe her? What does a human doctor want anyway?

Chakwas is waiting for him inside and as soon as Shepard enters, the windows of the med bay darken and hide the outside. Shepard watches them with a startled expression, soon replaced by wariness.

 

"I'm not sure how much you know about confidentiality rules on a human ship, so here's a quick catch up. Unless it directly endangers the life of the crew, I am not allowed to disclose any information gained during this check-up to anyone, including the Commander."

 

Shepard doesn't even try to hide his relief. His ascendancy is nothing to fear and that means Chakwas will keep quiet about it. Which means he's free to show him his plates and the redness that appeared around them soon after they left the Citadel. Ancestors, does he miss Maelon. The salarian might have been an arrogant son of a bitch, but at least he helped quickly and quietly.

 

"Now, can you remove your armor, please? I need to take some scans and examine you."

"Yeah, sure," Shepard shrugs before unclasping the joints of his helmet and putting it on the bed.

 

Chakwas' sharp intake of breath doesn't go unnoticed but Shepard decides not to linger on it and keeps on removing the pieces of his armor until he's naked. He knows he's pretty ugly for a krogan, but the female like him for what he represents and Wrex doesn't give a damn. Still, seeing the surprised horror on the human's face is a blow to his ego.

 

"What are you?"

"I'm Krogan, doc."

"Nonsense, you're a human! Oh my god, what is this? Are those _plates_? What did they do to you?!"

 

Shepard frowns and hovers in a threatening manner over the doctor.

 

"You watch how you speak about my clan, human. They did everything right to make me a better krogan and I'm thankful!"

But Chakwas isn't listening. "I need to tell the Commander, dear lord. They kidnapped- I can't believe it, we need to take it up to the Council!"

 

Shepard snarls and punching the doctor in the jaw before lifting her up by the throat and pushing her against the wall.

 

"They saved my life! My clan is the only reason I'm alive today, so you will stop making assumptions or I'll fucking slit your throat! Are we clear?"

 

Chakwas is choking, her face slowly turning an interesting red that does capture Shepard's attention for a moment. Then he realises that he might just be killing the doctor and releases her. She drops to the floor, coughing harshly.

 

"Are we clear, human?"

"... yes."

"Good. Now I need you to look at my plates. The scars are swelling and Maelon always said that's not a good sign, so fix me up."

 

To her credit, Chakwas quickly gets back to business and starts inspecting the redness. Her frown isn't deep and Shepard allows himself to relax a bit.

 

"I don't think it's infected, it might just be that your body is taking some time to get used to them."

"I've had the plates for years," Shepard snorts. Chakwas looks up briefly, surprised.

"Really? That does put things in perspective. Let me scan you."

 

He doesn't move as the blue ray passes over and through him, and sighs when the doctor makes another disgusted face.

 

"What now?"

"They cut you open, didn't they? They removed your ovaries. This is barbaric!"

"Watch it," he hisses. "I asked them to fix up the bleeding and they did. Krogans don't bleed, they spit in your face after breaking your neck."

 

Chakwas shakes her head, baffled. Then she frowns again, but this time like she just had an idea.

 

"Wait a minute. You're Krantt, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"There must be a mistake then, because-"

 

She pulls up his record and scrolls through the pages. She's mumbling things under her breath and Shepard is getting tired of it.

 

"What is it?"

"Your record states you're male."

"Yeah, why?"

Chakwas splutters. "But you're not! I mean, you don't exactly have the breasts and reproductive system to prove it, but that's definitely a vagina I'm seeing."

"Bullshit. I'm a warrior. Warriors are male."

"No, you don't get it, you have a female body! This is- you need to tell the krogan."

"I am a Krogan, fucking hell! Why can't you understand it?"

 

Shepard growls and pushes her away, getting back to the bed where he starts putting back his armor.

 

"No, wait! I'm sorry, look-"

"Shut the fuck up, human. You don't understand anything. Stop treating me like a human, I am not! I have the glands and the plates and the hormones! Maelon explained to me, I am nothing like a human anymore. Have you ever seen someone as tall as me, uh? I can go seven weeks without food, water or sleep. Our females want to mate with me. I am Krogan!"

"Krantt, wait-"

"Fuck off!"

 

Shepard puts his helmet back on and storms out of the med bay. He needs to hit something really hard, possibly until it break. The gym is calling to him like his Rite, all those years ago, and he is thirsty for the pain in his limbs. He also needs to find Wrex.

Shepard doesn't come across any of those things. He does find the best pilot in the galaxy lying on the floor, though.

 


	3. Big bad krogan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the pronouns are confusing, but we're settling in! Also, Wrex will keep calling Shepard "brother" no matter what so don't be weirded out by it.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

 

Shepard sees the wince the pilot tries to hide before rolling on his back to look at him. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's wrong.

 

"How did you manage to break your leg in a corridor? Are humans really that fragile?"

 

The pilot looks offended for a second before sighing heavily and extending a hand.

 

"I need help getting up."

"You're useless," Shepard says bluntly.

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Joker sighs as Shepard lifts him up. He has to catch the human when he looses his balance and threatens to fall again. Shepard growls in annoyance and lifts him in a bridal carry.

"Hey, what are you doing? Put me down!"

"I'm getting you to the doc. How the fuck are you supposed to pilot a ship with a broken leg?"

"That's really not how piloting works, bat face."

 

Shepard scowls at the insult but stays silent, choosing instead to walk down the stairs to the communal area. The crew members stare at them as they pass by but Shepard refuses to acknowledge them. The med bay is only a short walk from there but his skin crawls just thinking about getting back in there.

Instead, Shepard turns on his heels and gets into the elevator. Joker shifts in his arms and starts protesting.

 

"Shut up. I don't trust the woman. I can fix you up, I have stuff in the nest."

"The _what_?"

Shepard looks at him like he's stupid. "The nest. Where we sleep."

"Riiight. Are you telling me you lay eggs to?"

"Of course not." Joker looks smug, until Shepard goes on. "Our female do."

Joker changes colours. "This is so gross."

Shepard is suddenly glad for his helmet, because the look he sends Joker is pure astonishment. "I've read Fornax, I've seen what you call intercourse. And you think _we_ 're gross?"

 

The elevator stops in the cargo bay and Shepard starts walking towards their nest. He ignores completely Williams' chocked expression and the questions from the other human. Vakarian remains silent but chooses to follow them from afar. As long as he doesn't come too close to the nest, Shepard is fine with that. It's not like he's about to lay the human there anyway.

Shepard puts Joker down on a crate and rips apart the bottom of his pants. Under Joker's protests, he uses some leather to keep the bone in place and wraps the fabric tightly around the swelling.

 

"That is so not how you're supposed to set a bone," Joker complains. "You should have taken me to Chakwas."

Shepard growls. "I don't trust her. She asks the wrong questions and she insults my clan."

Joker suddenly looks curious. "The wrong questions? How so?"

"Not your business, human."

 

Joker doesn't look convinced but doesn't press any further as Shepard finishes dressing up the break. It's clean and should heal just fine, but it still leaves the question about the pilot's clumsiness.

 

"Have you been drinking? I'm not sure you're supposed to pilot while wasted."

"What? Of course not! What do you take me for?"

Shepard snorts. "A human. I don't know what your kind is life, I'm entitled to assumptions."

"Liar."

 

Shepard jerks, surprised at the voice he didn't expect. He had actually forgotten that Vakarian had come with them. He turns around, and the turian is looking at him with crossed arms.

 

"Who do you call a liar, birdy?"

"You," Vakarian states simply. "Joker didn't notice because it's normal for him, but I'm not human. I know your hands aren't supposed to have five fingers, _Krogan_."

 

Shepard crosses his arms immediately, but he knows it's too late. The turian has seen it and called him out on it. The doctor is one thing, if she's obligated to stay quiet, but he can't let that kind of information in the hands of a turian of all people. Shepard is still taller than the turian by a couple centimetres and way more bulky. So he wraps his hands around the pistols by his side and aims then at the bird's face.

 

"How about you forget what you just saw and I don't pull the trigger."

"Not gonna happen."

Shepard shrugs. "Well then." He starts to press when the pilots shouts "Wait!"

 

Shepard doesn't turn around, his eyes focused on the unmoving turian.

 

"Don't worry your pretty head, human, you're next. I can't have you running around with my personal business as common knowledge."

"Why don't we all calm down? Garrus, man, I'm sure you can refrain from telling on him."

"The Commander needs to know," the turian says stubbornly.

"He's not completely unaware of the situation," Shepard says through gritted teeth. "And Chakwas knows."

Joker startles. "Is that why you don't trust her? Because she knows you're human?"

"I AM NOT HUMAN!"

 

Shepard doesn't realize he's thrown one of his pistols at the man's head until the dull sound of it bouncing of a crate breaks him out of his rage. He's still breathing hard under his helmet, the weight suddenly suffocating.

 

"I am Shepard of the Clan Urdnot and I am Krogan!" he growls. He only realizes his mistake a second too late.

"Wait, what? Shepard?"

 

Shepard snarls in anger and punches the wall beside him with all his strength. The dent his fist leaves isn't enough to calm his rage. How many time will he have to fuck up before he learns to be more careful with his words?

 

"Don't you think you owe us an explanation?" Vakarian says as he gets closer.

"I owe you nothing, turian," he spits.

"Come on, don't be like that. We're a crew, trust is sexy around here."

 

Shepard looks at the human, confusions slipping through the furious fog in his brain.

 

"I don't understand you."

"I get that a lot," Joker shrugs.

 

Shepard sighs and slumps down on a crate. He looks up at the turian and the human, both staring at him, waiting.

 

"Can you not tell the Commander before I do? The doctor already knows, she would have explained to him if I was a problem."

"Fine by me," Joker shrugs again.

"Alright."

 

Shepard slowly removes his helmet and puts it down next to him on the crate, before looking up. He rubs at his scar, his eyes never meeting those of the two before him.

 

"I was born human. I'm not, though. I'm a krogan."

"We got that," Joker whispers. "You failed to mention you're a woman."

Shepard scowls. "What is it with you and females? Chakwas said the same thing, but it's not true. I can't lay eggs and I'm a warrior, so obviously I'm male."

"That's really not how it works, bat face."

Shepard frowns. "Is it about the ovaries? Chakwas said I didn't have them. The doctors on Tuchanka removed them because I kept bleeding but I have no idea what they're supposed to do."

 

Joker looks definitively green and Vakarian is shifting uncomfortably on his feet. Shepard sighs. This is all so complicated. Life was much easier in the tribe. You hunt, you kill, you eat and you try to fight the genophage. How hard did they need to make it on their damn ship?

 

"Hum, yeah, ovaries are a female human thing. Breasts, too." Joker frowns. "You don't have breast." It doesn't sound like a question, but Shepard answers anyway as he starts removing the chest protection of his armor.

"No, I have plates, like the rest of my race. They protect my hearts."

" _Plural?_ "

Shepard raises an eyebrow. "Yes? I have back-up lungs and some glands in my shoulders too, but I'm pretty weak for an Urdnot."

 

Joker makes a high-pitched sound that Shepard chooses to interpret as agreement, even if the pilot's face is still the wrong colour. Vakarian looks at the dent in the wall and tilts his head.

 

"Well, I'm glad you're on our side, weakling," he says, and Shepard has the distinct impression he is being sarcastic.

"You're sure I'm a female human?" he asks Joker.

"Hum, obvious krogan parts aside, yeah, I'm sure."

 

Shepard scratches at his chin and considers. It's not going to change anything clan-wise, because he already doesn't go out of his way to breed with the females. Brigg won't care, but he's a bit worried about Wrex. He doesn't want to doubt his brother, but who knows?

 

"Uh."

"Should we call you 'she' now?" the human asks, looking like he already regrets his question.

"I don't care. Whatever. As long as you remember that I'm a krogan, and not one of you squishy people."

"Oh believe me, you look anything but squishy, bat face."

 

Shepard nods, knowing how true this is. He- she has the muscles to prove it, even if she's got nothing on Wrex.

 

"Can we go back to the 'Shepard' part?" Vakarian asks.

"There isn't much to say. My pod crashed on Tuchanka when I was very, very small and there was a necklace in it. Here, I put it on my armor."

 

She turns around to show them the plate embedded in the shoulder of her armor. They stay quiet a moment, exchanging meaningful looks and Shepard rolls her eyes.

 

"Care to share?"

"I don't want to get ahead of myself," Vakarian says, "but I'm pretty sure you're the Commander long-lost twin sister."

 

Shepard blinks a couple of times, her mind coming blank for an appropriate answer. She opens her mouth and closes it again, because she had expected a connection but not _that_. Twins are a blessing on Tuchanka, something so rare no one dares hope for it when eggs are laid. The probability for two of them to carry the exact same DNA sequence is infinitesimal.

 

"Brother? What's going on?"

 

Shepard jerks up and quickly turns around. Wrex is walking towards the nest with a deep scowl on his face. She braces herself. There is no point in stalling or lying, Wrex would see straight through her.

 

"I've been talking with them. They say I might be the Commander's twin."

"What the fuck do they know?" is Wrex's immediate answer.

"Shepard doesn't talk about it much, but we all know he lost his twin when they were kids. Also, his mother was a lieutenant in the Alliance Navy, so..."

 

Wrex looks back and forth between the pilot and Shepard, like he's looking for something. When he doesn't appear to find it, Shepard takes a step in his direction. Might as well make him properly angry, instead of keeping the other thing for later.

 

"The human doctor and the pilot also assured me I'm female."

Wrex sets his jaw. "You're my brother."

"Yes, I am. But I can't reproduce with our females and I'm smarter than you, so it makes sense to me. As long as everyone here remembers where I _truly_ belong."

Joker raises his hands defensively. "I get it, big bad krogan over here."

"Good," Shepard growls. "Are we going to have a problem, Wrex?"

He stays silent a moment, before snorting. "You're my brother," he says again. "Try to remember that when you go talk with the squishy Commander of this puny human ship."

 

Shepard grins sharply and can't help herself. She barrels into Wrex and tackles him to the ground. They roll around a couple of times, exchanging playful blows that would snap a human's neck and Shepard feels better than ever. She's a krogan and her brother loves her.

 


End file.
